Year 12 French – an introduction

We are delighted that you have decided to continue with your French studies for A Level. In order to bridge the gap
between the end of your GCSE studies and the start of the A Level course, we would like to suggest some ways to
help you consolidate and develop the level of French with which you ended Year 11. Please find below a range of
different activities for you to complete before the beginning of Year 12. For your A Level course it is essential that
you have a broad knowledge of the society, culture, customs, artists and musicians in France.

There are some compulsory activities, marked C. You will need to complete all of these.

There are other optional activities, marked O. You will need to complete at least 3 of these.

Activity C/O Tick when

completed
✓

Review essential French grammar (There will be a test on this in C

your first week back. As there is lots of course content, it is essential
you know the basics):
YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO FORM THE PRESENT, PERFECT, IMPERFECT, FUTURE AND
CONDITIONAL TENSES. YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO CONJUGATE REGULAR –ER, -RE
AND –IR VERBS PLUS THE FOLLOWING IRREGULAR VERBS:
être, avoir, faire, aller, venir, pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, sortir, savoir,
dire.

https://conjuguemos.com/activities/french/verb/1 (Use self-

correcting exercises to test yourself.)
https://uk.language-gym.com/

I really like this Youtuber for clear explanations and fun videos:
https://www.youtube.com/user/learnfrenchwithalexa

Ensure you revise any other grammar points which you struggled
with in Year 11
Be up to date with French news. Read an article on: C
https://www.1jour1actu.com/ (aimed at children but it gives simple
and easy-to-understand explanations)

https://www.lemonde.fr/
https://www.lefigaro.fr/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSKdvgqdnj72_SLggp7BDTg
(Brut is a new news network which is on all social media- their videos
are usually subtitled and tackle really interesting topics)

…Or if celebrity gossip is more your thing: O

https://fr.yahoo.com/
Watch French film clips on Youtube or stream them. Did you know C
that Netflix and Amazon Prime also have International Films? They
quite often have French films on there which are subtitled in
English:
https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?title_type=feature&primary_la
nguage=fr
(Here is IMDB’s list of most popular French language films for you to
select from). Write down which film you saw. Find out about an actor
in the film or the director and write a short paragraph in English.
We recommend:
- Coco Avant Chanel (Coco Before Chanel)
- Amélie
- La Môme (La Vie en Rose)
- Les Intouchables (The Intouchables)
Read a short story in French: O
http://www.languageguide.org/french/readings/ (here you can read
and listen to pronunciation at the same time)
http://www.tremplinfle.com/useful-links--resources.html (use this
page to help you find a list of recommended French titles)
Listen to French radio, select a station according to your interests: O
http://tunein.com/radio/French-Music-g143/ (You can find music,
news or information programmes. Listen to a song or a news item
and challenge yourself to work about what is being said)
Listen to a French singer or group on Spotify or Youtube. O
Do some background research on the artist and write a short
paragraph in English. What genre are they? Which instruments do
they use?

Research a tradition or custom from a French speaking country, O

does it surprise you how different this might be to the UK? Make a
note of when, where and how it is celebrated. You will share this with
the others in September.

Challenge yourself to have a conversation with a native speaker O

(You could do this either in person through someone you know, or
using an Internet site but remember to never give away your personal
details and to stay safe!)
https://www.italki.com/home (This is a platform which enables
language learners to give each other lessons in their mother tongue)
Research a French painter, architect or sculptor. Make a note of any O
outstanding works – where and why is this person famous?

… and lastly – tick off all the activities you complete over the holidays and bring this to your first lesson. There will be
a prize for the person who has done the most activities on this list. It really will help you start off the term on the
right foot.

Bonnes Vacances!